Mr Nattawut flew into Phuket in his more respectable role as Deputy Minister of Commerce in the Pheu Thai government, to join in deliberations of the International Tripartite Rubber Council at the Centara Grand Karon with counterparts from Malaysia and Indonesia, and observers from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
On behalf of the 20 protestors, Aparat Chatchutikumjorn presented the started politician with a demand that the Cabinet of PM Yingluck Shinawatra drop its drive to rewrite clause 291 of the 2007 Thai Constitution. This clause governs amendments to the Constitution as a whole. Changing this is seen by opponents as being a precursor to rewriting the entire law.
The Local Phuket People said they were concerned at the news that “an important politician” in the Cabinet had announced in parliament that he would bring exiled premier Thaksin Shinawatra back to Thailand as soon as possible, and that this was the real reason for the government’s attempts to change the Constitution.
The group also voiced its disapproval of the government’s handling of the continuing violence in the Deep South, and its agricultural policies, which they said “had a major effect on the Thai economy”.
Ms Aparat told Mr Nattawut that the Cabinet was elected by the entire country and must therefore respond to the wishes of all Thai people, not only to “some groups of people”.
She told The Phuket News that solving the violence in the South and agricultural problems “is more urgent and important than amending the Constitution”.
Later, Mr Nattawut said that he agreed that those in the Cabinet must listen to all Thai people and that he would pass on the Local Phuket People’s views to the constitution redrafting committee, when it is formed.
But he supported changes to the Constitution. “In my view, it is the time to write a Constitution that supports real democracy among Thai people by amending the entire Constitution – apart from the part that deals with the Royal Institution,” he said.
“The redrafting committee, which will be established by the Cabinet, will hold public hearings,” Mr Nattawut said, adding however, that amendments are still being studied by the ministries of Interior and Justice. He believes that within this month, there will be some progress.